SARASOTA, Fla. — Florida A&M University is offering to pay $300,000 to settle the lawsuit filed by the family of a drum major who died following a hazing incident.
Robert Champion died nearly a year ago after being beaten by fellow band members aboard a bus parked outside an Orlando hotel.
According to the Orlando Sun-Sentinel, the family’s attorney Christopher Chestnut said Pamela and Robert Champion Sr. were “insulted” by the offer and have rejected it.
Champion’s parents filed a lawsuit contending university officials did not take action to stop hazing even though a school dean proposed suspending the famed Marching 100 band just days before their son died. The lawsuit also alleges that school officials fell short in enforcing anti-hazing policies.
The amount offered by the school on Wednesday is the maximum amount the university can pay without seeking approval by the Florida Legislature. Attorneys for the school are giving the family 30 days to respond.
Larry Robinson, FAMU’s interim president, would not comment directly on the offer.
“We are in negotiations and we are working with our legal team to move this matter forward,” said Robinson, who was in Sarasota attending a meeting of the state board that oversees the university system.
